North Coast Rotary Celebrates 12th Annual Four-Way Test Speech Contest

The North Coast Rotary Club, in partnership with Avon, Avon Lake, and Brookside High Schools, proudly hosted its 12th Annual Four-Way Test Speech Contest last Tuesday. The contest, chaired by Rotarian and Avon Local Schools Superintendent Ben Hodge, provided an opportunity for students to showcase their public speaking skills while addressing impactful societal issues.

The competition began with North Coast Rotary recognizing the students’ courage and commitment to advocacy, applauding their dedication to using their voices for positive change. Participants delivered compelling speeches on a range of topics, including Religious Freedom in Schools, The Importance of Music in the School Curriculum, Drug Awareness for Teens, Education and the Student Debt Crisis, and the Validity of Standardized Test Scores as Measures of Student Proficiency.

A panel of three professional judges evaluated the speeches, which featured thought-provoking statements such as:

  • “Music is a science and can be taught.”
  • “Research has shown that clear factual education significantly reduces the likelihood of substance abuse among teenagers.”
  • “Once viewed as a pathway to success, the college education system now feels more like a financial trap.”
  • “There are moral teachings in every religion, and there’s no justifiable reason for our government to be favoring any one of them.”
  • “The United States creates curriculum based on what’s inside the standardized testing, instead of creating standardized testing based on what’s in the curriculum.”

All contestants delivered articulate and persuasive presentations, making the judges’ task especially challenging. The final results were as follows:

  • 1st Place: Julie Dimacchia, Sophomore, Brookside High School
  • 2nd Place: Serafino “Fino” Powers, Senior, Avon Lake High School
  • 3rd Place: Max Wojtus, Senior, Avon High School
  • 4th Place (Tie): Anikha Singh, Senior, Avon High School & Alondra Ortiz, Freshman, Brookside High School

Dimacchia will advance to the Rotary District 6600 regional competition in April. All participants were honored with certificates, ribbons, and cash awards.